Glare shield



Dec. 14, 1937. J. H. ly-LETCHER GLARE SHIELD Filed Sept. 26, 1936 1 INVENTOR, Jose/oh F/echer BY M 41 ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 14, 1937 UNITED STATI-:s

PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

My invention relates to a glare shield which has particular application in automobiles to shield the eyes of the passengers from the direct light of the sun during those hours of the day in which the sun is near the horizon and also from the direct light of approaching automobiles at night.

Glare shields designed for this general purpose are now employed on automobiles and are commonly so mounted that they lie against the roof of the car when not in use and are folded down when they are desired to be used. .Some mountings also permit the shield to be swung around to the side so that it shields the passengers eyes from light coming in through the side window. These shields are a great' convenience, f but oftentimes it is not possible to position them to intercept the objectionable light simply because the shields are not large enough or are limited in their travel. To make the shield larger, however, would be to make it unsightly and an obstacle when not in use.

It is an object, therefore, of my invention to provide a glare shield which is extensible downwardly and to either side in order to permit it, while in use, to cover a relatively large area and to be compacted into a small space while not in use. Another object of theinvention is to provide a glare shield in which the relatively movable shield element is restrained from being tilted out of the plane of its companion shield portion.

Another object of the invention is to provide an extensible glare shield in which the parts will remain in the relative position to which they are moved until they are again deliberately readjusted.

I attain these objects in a manner which will be clear from a consideration of the following delcrlptlon taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of one form of my glare shield with some of the possible positions of the movable extending portion being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the glare shield of Fig. 1 taken along the line 2--2.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative form of my glare shield.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative form of my glare shield.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the link employed to connect the two relatively movable portions of my glare shield.

In the glare shield of my invention I provide two relatively movable portions connected by extensible links. In the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, one' shield element I0 acts as a support member and is provided with xtures II and I2 which are employed in mountingthe glare shield 5 on an automobile in a well-known manner so that the shield may be rotated down in front of the passengerseyes or can be turned to the side to cover a portion of the side window. The element I0 is hollow over most of its extent, being only 10 closed at the top and at the ends. It is most conveniently constructed by bending a metal sheet into the form of a narrow inverted U and closing the ends, as at I3, with blocks oi wood.

Fitting over the shield element I0, and frlc- 15 tionally contacting the sides thereof, is another U shaped shield element I4 which is closed only at the bottom. It will thus be seen that the element I4 can move in the common plane of elements IIl and I4 both up and down and to 20 either side, but cannot be tilted out of the common plane of the two elements.

The shield elements I0 and I4 are connected by two extensible links I5 which are identical, and which are movable within the element I0, one 25 end of'each link I5 being rotatably connected to the top of element I0 and the other end of each link being rotatably connected to the bottom of element I4.

The links I5 are shown in detail in Fig. 5. 30 They are preferably made in the form illustrated in order to accomplish the following objects. The links must be thin in order to permit of placing them within the narrow hollow shield element I0. They must be extensible and continu- 35 ously adjustable in length to the limit of their extension, while at the same time being capable of retaining a given adjustment until deliberately readjusted. The preferred form of link I5 comprises, as one part, the member I 6 preferably made by wrapping a piece of sheet'metal into an elongated rectangular shape providing a shallow rectangular passage therethrough. In this passage slides a strip Il of rectangular crosssection. The member I6 has a slot I8 in one 45 face extending from one end thereof to near the other end, in which slot rides an upwardly bent projection I9 on the strip Il. The face of member I6 opposite to the slotted face terminates at one end in a tab 20 projecting out beyond the remainder of the member and which is provided with a hole ZItherethrough. The end of strip Il opposite to the projection I9 also has a hole 22 therethrough.

In order to insure that strip Il is held in mem- 55 such a way that vibration, etc. will not cause a change in the relative position of the two members, I provide between them an arched spring 23 which is retained in member I6 and bears frictionally on the strip I1. The spring 23 consists ofa strip of spring metal such as phosphor bronze or spring steel which is arched upwardly and which is at one end 24 bent sharply downwardly to form a small projection. The spring 23 is retained against longitudinal movement by the projection at 24 which seats in a shallow channel-like depression 25 in the inner lower face of member I6.

By reason of this construction the members I6 and I1 are continuously adjustable in position relative to one another between the position in which they substantially coincide and that in which the projection I9 abuts against the closed end of the slot I8; and at any intermediate position the two members are tightly held against everything but a deliberate attempt at readjustment. 1

In the form of glare shield shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the links I5 are suspended'in the element I0 on rivets 26 which pass through holes 2I in the members I 6. Over the rivets 26 and lying between tab 20 and theelement I0 are spacing washers which may include one -or more spring washers. The other ends of links I5 are pivotally connected to the element I4 by rivets 21 which pass through holes 22 in strips I1. On the rivets 21 and lying between the strip I1 and element I4 are spacing washers which may also include spring washers.

By virtue of this construction, the lower shield element I4 may be made to coincide substantially y with the element I0 as shown in solid lines, or

it may be moved downwardly relative to shield element I0 to the full extent of the extensible links I5 asshown by dotted lines in position A. It may be moved to either side as shown by dotted lines in positions B and C or be tipped so that one end is lower than the other. In` any position the links I5 will remain of a fixed length untill the shield is deliberately readjusted. The friction of the contacting surfaces of U shaped elements Iand I4pmay be depended upon to prevent element I4 fromrotating to the lowermost position due to vibration.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated another form of my glare shield. Here I provide a relatively narrow.

shield element 30 to which are attached the usual mounting xtures I I and I 2, and a broader shield element 3l which is movable relative to element 30 lby reason o f its connection thereto by extensible links I5. In this forni of the invention, as contrasted to the form of Fig. 1, when the lower shield element 3l is pulled downward a space isleftbetween the -two shield elementsv and there is no direct contactv between them. In order to prevent tilting of the shield element 3I out of the common plane of elements 30 and 3l and to strengthen the structure I employ two pairs of links I5 one pair on each side of the shield. Theinks I5 are identical to those previously described as employed on the shield shown in Fig. 1. I have shown the members I6 pivotally connected to 'shield element 3| by rivets 32 which pass through both of the'members I6 and through element 3|. In a similar manner strips I1 are pivotally connected to the upper shield element, or support, 30 by rivets 33. On the rivets 32 and 33 and lyingA between the link members and the shield elements are spacing washers of which some may be spring washers. The rivets 32 and 33 clamp the links tightly so as to prevent rotation ofthe lower shield element due to vibration. It will be observed that the lower element 3l of this glare shield is capaport clip 35 are pivotally connected a pair *of extensible links I5 of the same type as those t 1 previously described. Pivotally connected to the lower ends of the links I5 is the U-shaped metal member 36 in which is clamped the shield 31 which may be either opaque or of transparent colored celluloid. The links I5 are pivotally connected to the member 36 and to-clip 35 by rivets on which, and between links I5 and the connected members, are spacing washers which may include spring' washers to prevent the links I5 from rotating due to vibration. If, however, the

rivets are made tight the spring washers are not i necessary. When not in use, this form of glare shield lies flat along, and generally coincides with, the shield on which it is mounted. When it is not possible to adjust the ordinary shield so that it intercepts the objectionable light rays, the glare shield shown in Fig. 4 is pulled down below the other to form an extension thereof. Or it may be moved to either sideY of the permanently mounted shield or tipped at an angle thereto. This shield, it will Ibe obvious, is capable of all the movements of those previously described.

It will be understood that various modications in design and construction of my glare shield may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

1. A glare shield comprising a hollow shield element, a pair of extensible links pivotally connected to said shield element and movable therein, and a second U shaped shield element pivotally connected to the other ends on said links and fitting over said first-mentioned shield element.

2. A glareshield comprising a hollow shield element, a pair of extensiblel links pivotally connected to said shield element and movable therein, and a second U shaped shield element fitting over 'and frictionaly contacting the sides of said holof, and a second shield element in the same plane as the first and having pivotally connected thereto on each side thereof vthe other ends of one pair of said links.

4. In a glare shield including a support element and a relatively movable shield element, aextensible link pivotally connected at opposite ends tosaid elements and comprising, a member having a. passage therethrough, a second member slidable in said passage, a spring in said first member xed against longitudinal inovement and bearing on said second member toiric- 4the separation of said membe 5. In,a 'glare shield including a support ele--V tionally retain it in position, and means limiting ment and a relatively movable shield element, an extensible link pivotally connected at opposite ends to said elements and comprising, an elongated rectangularly-shaped member providing a shallow rectangular passage therethrough, a sec- `ond member slidable in said passage, an arched resilient-metal strip between said members and 'bearing irictionally on said second member, said resilient strip having one end bent sharply toward and resting in a depression in said iirst member, a slot in and extending part way along one face of said rst member, and a projection A on said second member extending into said slot.

6. A glare shield comprising a support adapted for mounting the same, a pair oi extensible links pivotally connected to said support, and a shield element pivotally connected to the other ends of said links, said links each comprising an elongated rectangularly-shaped member providing a shallow rectangular passage therethrough, a second member slidable in said passage, an arched resilient metal strip between said members and bearing frictionally on said second member, said resilient strip having one end bent sharply toward and resting in a depression in said nrst member, a slot in and extending part way along one face oi said first member, and a projection on said second member extending into said slot.

7. A glare shield comprising a hollow shield element, a pair ot'extensible links enclosed in said shield elements and pivotally connected thereto, and a second U shaped shield element fitting over said first-mentioned shield element and pivotally connected to the other ends of said links, said links each consisting of an elongated rectangular-shaped member providing a shallow rectangular passage therethrough, a second member slidableyin said passage, an arched resilient metal strip'between said members and bearing frictionally on said second member, said resilient strip having one end bent sharply toward and resting in avdepression in said rst member, a slot in and extending part way along. one face of said rst member, and a projection on said second member extending into said slot.

JOSEPH FLETCHER. 

